Financial modeling course description

This step-by-step financial modeling course has been taught to thousands of finance professionals at top financial institutions around the world by Scott Powell. In this course, you will learn to build a financial model from scratch by working in Excel and following along with the video. Upon successfully completing the course and all quizzes you will obtain your Financial Modeling Certificate from the Corporate Finance Institute and be on your way to breaking into wall street.

A structured approach to financial modeling

In this section of the course, we cover the importance of designing a well-structured model and incorporating financial modeling best practices. Specifically, you will learn to:

Apply a structured approach to financial modeling in Excel

Outline the hallmarks of good financial models

Explain the importance of planning, and prep your model structure

Building from operating revenues down to operating profit

Forecasting the income statement and balance sheet

In this section of the financial modeling course, you will learn to start building the model in Excel by completing the following steps:

Forecast property, plant and equipment and other operating assets

Forecast the various components of working capital:

Accounts receivable

Inventories

Accounts payable

Debt and financing schedules

In this section, the tutorials focus on how to build the debt and financing sections including interest calculations and the capital structure of the business. Specific learning objectives include:

Forecast debt financing and related interest costs

Forecast equity financing and dividends

Use an iterative analytic approach to managing circular references

Building a free cash flow statement

Once all of the above steps are complete we can move to link the cash flow statement and complete the three statement model. This section of the course will teach you to:

Understand the importance of error checking

Derive a forecast cash flow statement based on a forecast income statement and balance sheet

Derive a free cash flow statement that can be used for equity valuation

DCF Modeling

This course has a pre-populated DCF model build it, as the focus of the course is on linking a three statement model. CFI's Business Valuation Course focuses on DCF Modeling in Excel in detail.

Prerequisites

Reviews (27)

Mid-way review

by Siddhartha Sen

This course is excellent. Well paced and gives a clear understanding of what is being done and why. Wish this was available before. A great starting point for anyone interested in finance and modeling.

Gave me the ability to effectively build a financial model!

by Zahid Sameer

With the easy step-by-step instructions and learning exercises, the course has taught me how to effectively build a financial model by myself and even taught us how to look at financial modelling from different perspectives and adapt to different scenarios.

The content is great

by Xiao Hua (Viviane) MA

The content and the notes are great! The video when showing moving up and down an excel sheet was intermittent and hard to follow.

Simply Superb

by Salil Hillary

All things you can do with Excel, it is better than any ERP solutions like SAP FICO.

Fantabulously Great

by Kaushik Agarwal

The course content was impeccable in design, and obviously did satisfy the claims made before the onset of the course. The material could be judged with no less than certain high standards, though in the last module, the instructor did seem to rush things a bit, but again that's an opinionated version. Overall, it's flawless !

It is definitely the Best course ever seen

by Deolindo Matumba

I usually do not leave comments. But I must say honestly that this course is the best ever seen online. It is very practical. I whish I knew it a few years ago!

Excellent Course

Mid-way review

by Siddhartha Sen

This course is excellent. Well paced and gives a clear understanding of what is being done and why. Wish this was available before. A great starting point for anyone interested in finance and modeling.

Gave me the ability to effectively build a financial model!

by Zahid Sameer

With the easy step-by-step instructions and learning exercises, the course has taught me how to effectively build a financial model by myself and even taught us how to look at financial modelling from different perspectives and adapt to different scenarios.

The content is great

by Xiao Hua (Viviane) MA

The content and the notes are great! The video when showing moving up and down an excel sheet was intermittent and hard to follow.

Simply Superb

by Salil Hillary

All things you can do with Excel, it is better than any ERP solutions like SAP FICO.

Fantabulously Great

by Kaushik Agarwal

The course content was impeccable in design, and obviously did satisfy the claims made before the onset of the course. The material could be judged with no less than certain high standards, though in the last module, the instructor did seem to rush things a bit, but again that's an opinionated version. Overall, it's flawless !

It is definitely the Best course ever seen

by Deolindo Matumba

I usually do not leave comments. But I must say honestly that this course is the best ever seen online. It is very practical. I whish I knew it a few years ago!

by ARTURO SOSA CUERVO

Excellent Course

by Constantine Burrell

This is a great course that I would highly recommend to any Manager

Comprehensive

by Ziad Qasqas

This is the way to easily demonstrate building a financial model.
Thank you

by Rakan Alsharif

couldve had more examples on excel

by brian millen

by Robert Jackson

by efsi hayati

Extremely clear

by Laura Piccinato

Step-by-step guided course on how to build a balance sheet and cash flow statement forecast model using Excel. Would have appreciated a final exercise to recap all the concepts. All the rest was simply perfect.

Intense stuff for a rookie!

by Yves Seybel

Again, great presentation and pace. Downloads easy to follow. I love the segmentation between the short videos; the examples are well done and relevant. The quizzes really help. The math takes a little to get used to (that's the learning!)

Excellent

by Abdulbariy Karimov

So far I found it quite easy to follow, I want to try all courses as soon as possible

brilliant, makes so much more sense now

by Richard Hastings

logical, concise, and interesting

by saiqa saeed

by Aarav Singh

by Barbara Alvarez

by barbara arnold

by Cara Nowen

Step by step

by Rustom Rupand

I like how this course goes step-by-step through how to build a financial model from the bottom up. Really helpful

A go-to guide to best practices in building a financial model

by Sophie Ngo

James Valentine mentioned in his book "Best practices for Equity Research Analysts" that simplicity trumps complexity in the investment process. The more complicated the model, the greater the likelihood that something will go wrong.
This course provides a powerful tool to build a simplified and robust model. It is well-structured with step-by-step and high-quality video instructions that are easy to follow. What I like the most are the downloadable files accompanied with the video instruction. The files are organized based on each exercise and allow me to practice the concept immediately. The quiz at the end is a perfect recap for the concept learned throughout in the course.

by Julian (Jay) Rhind

Step-by-step instructions really helpful

by Rajat Kumar

The topics of financial modelling are well explained and easy to follow. Alternation between video lectures and step-by-step instructions is really helpful to complete the model on your own.

Great ability to go at your own pace

by Sarah Lawson

I've taken several finance courses in undergrad but never one that gave such a complete picture of how to build a financial model. This course really helped me connect the dots from many of my B-Comm courses. It's great to go at your own pace, pause, and re-watch chapters.